Sligo can dream of competing for Sam

Tony McEntee’s men will compete in top tier if they reach Connacht final

ALTHOUGH enthused by their participation in this year’s inaugural Tailteann Cup, a competition that yielded a semi-final appearance at Croke Park, Sligo’s senior Gaelic footballers could end up featuring in next year’s Sam Maguire Cup, the tier one GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship.

Due to a change in format for the 2023 blue riband inter-county competition, the eight provincial finalists along with the eight next highest finishing teams from the Allianz Football League will qualify for the Sam Maguire Cup. The remaining counties (17) will participate in the Tailteann Cup.

Sligo’s hopes of being in the Sam Maguire Cup series (group stage) have been boosted because of the draw for next year’s Connacht GAA Senior Football Championship.

Drawn away to London in the provincial quarter-final, should Sligo emerge from that tie they’ll have home advantage for a Connacht semi-final against either New York or Leitrim. With provincial heavy hitters Roscommon, Mayo and defending champions Galway on the other side of the draw, Sligo have a wonderful opportunity to reach a first Connacht decider at senior level since 2015.

But a word of warning – Sligo struggled to beat New York in this year’s Connacht GAA Senior Football Championship and, in the Tailteann Cup, beat London after extratime and enjoyed a sensational

CLASH: London’s James Hynes (formerly St Farnan’s and Sligo) attempts to halt Curry’s Alan Reilly during May’s Tailteann Cup clash at Markievicz Park. Sligo and London will meet in next year’s Connacht GAA Senior Football Championship quarter-final.

Connacht SFC 2023

New York v Leitrim; London v Sligo; Roscommon v Mayo

Galway v Roscommon or Mayo; London or Sligo v New York or Leitrim

penalty shoot-out win over neighbours Leitrim.

Sligo defeated London when they last met in the Connacht GAA Senior Football Championship – a 10-point victory at Ruislip, 1-21 to 1-11, in 2018 – but London had the upper hand in 2013, winning by a point, 1-12 to 0-14, in what was an infamous result for Sligo in the final year of Galway man

Saturday, October 22

Sligo U-21 ‘A’ Football Championship

QUARTER-FINALS: Ballymote-Bunninadden v Eastern Harps (Corran Park, 4pm) (Joe Hynes); St Molaise Gaels v Shamrock Gaels (Monsignor Hynes Park, 2.30pm) (John Griffin)

Sligo U-21 ‘B’ Football Championship

PRELIMINARY ROUND: Geevagh-St Michael’s v Tourlestrane (Geevagh GAA Club pitch, 4pm) (Gus Chapman); Owenmore Gaels v Curry (Connolly Park, 4pm) (Ronan Hynes)

Sunday, October 23

Expert Electrical Sligo U-17 Hurling Championship

SHIELD FINAL: Drumcliffe-Rosses Pt v Calry-St Joseph’s (Sligo GAA COE, 12 noon) (Ciaran O’Donnell)

Sligo Senior ‘B’ Hurling Championship

FINAL: Western Gaels v Coolera-Strandhill

(Markievicz Park, 12.45pm) (Pat Maguire)

Sligo Senior Hurling Championship

FINAL: Easkey v Naomh Eoin (Markievicz

Park, 3pm) (Gus Chapman)

Kevin Walsh’s tenure.

Sligo, Tailteann Cup semi-finalists last June, will meet both London and Leitrim in Division Four of next year’s Allianz Football League.

Tony McEntee, Sligo’s manager, isn’t getting carried away with the provincial draw and the possibilities of progression in what will be his third year at the helm.

He stated: “Those counties on our side of the draw will all have a positive view, knowing that they’ve avoided Mayo, Roscommon and Galway.

“In saying that, we’ll be optimistic for next year. We will have clear goals – we want to take on Division Four, get up to Division Three and compete well in the Connacht Senior

Championship.

“This draw gives us a realistic opportunity of trying to progress. Look, if we end up in the Tailteann Cup then I still think we’ve a good chance of doing well in it.” He continued: “If we got to the Connacht final and then were not in the Tailteann Cup we would still have some good championship games – all this would, hopefully, bring on the team that much further.”

In recent months McEntee has been busy watching club championship games in Sligo with a view to spotting potential talent for the senior panel. “From what I’ve seen and with the players from the Sligo U-20 team this year I think we can freshen up the squad, there is talent coming through,” he added.

Update

WELL DONE KENNY: Tourlestrane player Kenny Gavigan was congratulated by his dad, Gerry, and two young fans after last Sunday’s county final win over St Mary’s at Markievicz Park.

Club Results and Fixtures